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Lesson Plan: AP Government: Argumentative Essay Practice
The Federalist Papers
Boston College professor Mary Sarah Bilder gives a brief overview backgrounding the Federalist Papers
Description
This is intended as an end-of-course review activity for practice with the argumentative essay format included on the AP United States Government and Politics exam since the 2018 redesign. Eleven practice prompts are provided, reflecting content from Units 1-3.
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY PROMPT ANALYSIS
- Review the provided Argumentative Essay Prompts in either an individual or jigsaw format.
- Write a thesis statement for your selected prompt(s) and identify the selection you would make from the provided list and the second piece of evidence you would choose.
- If there are prompts for which you struggle to develop a thesis, or items on the bulleted lists with which you are not conversant, use the hyperlinked C-SPAN Classroom resources to extend your understanding of the required founding documents and SCOTUS cases that you found challenging.
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
- Chose one or more of the provided Argumentative Essay Prompts , as assigned, and use the planning and exploration you did above to write a full essay in response to your designated prompt(s) in 25 or fewer minutes , since that's the time limit you'll face on the AP Exam!
- Exchange essays with a classmate and evaluate each others' work.
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2024 AP Comparative Government Exam Guide
8 min read âą august 18, 2023
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Your Guide to the 2024 AP Comparative Government Exam
We know that studying for your AP exams can be stressful, but Fiveable has your back! We created a study plan to help you crush your AP Comparative Government exam. This guide will continue to update with information about the 2024 exams, as well as helpful resources to help you do your best on test day. Unlock Cram Mode  for access to our cram eventsâstudents who have successfully passed their AP exams will answer your questions and guide your last-minute studying LIVE! And don't miss out on unlimited access to our database of thousands of practice questions. FYI, something cool is coming your way Fall 2023! đ
Format of the 2024 AP Comparative Government Exam
Going into test day, this is the exam format to expect:
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
55 Questions | 60 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score
Individual questions (no stimulus): 40â44 questions.
Set-based questions:
Quantitative Analysis : 3 sets of questions asking students to analyze a quantitative stimulus (line graphs, charts, tables, maps, or infographics)
Qualitative Analysis : 2 sets of questions asking students to analyze text-based secondary sources
The 6 countries addressed in AP Comparative Government and Politics are China , Iran , Mexico , Nigeria , Russia , and the United Kingdom .
Section 2: Free Response
4 Questions | 1 Hour 30 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score
Concept Application: Define or describe a political concept and explain and/or compare political systems , principles, institutions, processes, policies, or behaviors.
Quantitative Analysis : Analyze quantitative data, identify a trend or pattern, or draw a conclusion from a visual representation and explain how it relates to political systems , principles, institutions, processes, policies, or behaviors.
Comparative Analysis: Compare political concepts, systems, institutions, or policies in different course countries.
Argument Essay : Develop an argument in the form of an essay, using evidence from course countries related to the course concepts in the question prompt.
đ Check out the 2023 AP Comparative Government Free-Response Section posted on the College Board site.
Scoring Rubric for the AP Comparative Government Exam
View an example set of questions and the corresponding scoring guidelines  from the College Board to get an idea of what they look for in your responses!
Check out our study plan below to find resources and tools to prepare for your AP Comparative Government exam.
When is the 2024 AP Comparative Government Exam and How Do I Take It?
The AP Comparative Government exam will be in-person and on paper at your school on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 12:00 PM.
You will have 3 hours to take the exam. Active Cram Mode to get updates on the latest 2024 exam news.Â
How Should I Prepare for the Exam?
First, download the AP Comparative Government Cheatsheet PDF  - a single sheet that covers everything you need to know at a high level. Take note of your strengths and weaknesses!
We've put together the study plan found below to help you study between now and May. This will cover all of the units and essay types to prepare you for your exam. Pay special attention to the units that you need the most improvement in.
Study, practice, and review for test day with other students during our live cram sessions via Cram Mode . Cram live streams will teach, review, and practice important topics from AP courses, college admission tests, and college admission topics. These streams are hosted by experienced students who know what you need to succeed.
Pre-Work: Set Up Your Study Environment
Before you begin studying, take some time to get organized.
đ„ Create a study space.
Make sure you have a designated place at home to study. Somewhere you can keep all of your materials, where you can focus on learning, and where you are comfortable. Spend some time prepping the space with everything you need and you can even let others in the family know that this is your study space.Â
đ Organize your study materials.
Get your notebook, textbook, prep books, or whatever other physical materials you have. Also, create a space for you to keep track of review. Start a new section in your notebook to take notes or start a Google Doc to keep track of your notes. Get yourself set up!
đ Plan designated times for studying.
The hardest part about studying from home is sticking to a routine. Decide on one hour every day that you can dedicate to studying. This can be any time of the day, whatever works best for you. Set a timer on your phone for that time and really try to stick to it. The routine will help you stay on track.
đ Decide on an accountability plan.
How will you hold yourself accountable to this study plan? You may or may not have a teacher or rules set up to help you stay on track, so you need to set some for yourself. First, set your goal. This could be studying for x number of hours or getting through a unit. Then, create a reward for yourself. If you reach your goal, then x. This will help stay focused!
đ€ Get support from your peers. Â
There are thousands of students all over the world who are preparing for their AP exams just like you! Join Rooms  đ€ to chat, ask questions, and meet other students who are also studying for the spring exams. You can even build study groups and review material together!Â
AP Comparative 2024 Study Plan
Unit 1: political systems , regimes, and governments.
In this unit, you go over how a political system impacts the lives of its people on a daily basis. You also go over how comparative political scientists generate meaningful conclusions to develop trends in other nations.
đ Read these study guides:
1.0 Political Systems , Regimes, and Governments
1.1 The Practice of Political Scientists
1.2 Defining Political Institutions Â
1.3 Democracy vs Authoritarianism
1.4 Democratization
1.5 and 1.6 Sources of and Changes in Power and Authority
1.7 Federal and Unitary Systems
1.8 and 1.9 Political Legitimacy and Sustaining It
1.10 Political Stability
If you have more time or want to dig deeper:
đ» Learn about the best prep books so you can start studying early:
Best AP Comp Government Textbooks and Prep Books
Unit 2: Political Institutions
Unit 2 can be broken down into 3 Big Ideas, according to the Course Exam and Description (CED):
 Explaining and comparing parliamentary, presidential, and semi-presidential systems. Your goal at the end of this unit is to be able to explain the different political structures in each of the courses' countries. You are then expected to take that knowledge about each Comp Gov country and use it to compare the courses' countries with one another using the skills đȘđœ you learned in unit 1.
Executive, Legislative, and Judicial đ©ââïž Branches. Once you understand the political systems in each of the Comp Gov countries, College Board expects that you will be able to develop an understanding of not only the various structures of the branches but also an understanding of how those structures are used in each of the course countries to wield and maintain power. đđż
Advantages and Disadvantages of Political Systems . In addition to knowing and applying what you have learned about the political systems and their branches, it is expected that you can take the knowledge and characterize the advantages and disadvantages of having one system over another with regard to stability, legitimacy, and policymaking. đŻ
2.1 Parliamentary, Presidential, and Semi-Presidential Systems
2.2 Comparing Parliamentary, Presidential, and Semi-Presidential Systems
2.3 Executive Systems
2.4 Executive Term Limits
2.5 Removal of Executives
2.6 Legislative Systems
2.7 Independent Legislatures
2.8 Judicial Systems
2.9 Independent Judiciaries
đ» Here are some Multiple Choice and Free Response Guides to assist you while studying!
AP Comparative Government Free Response Help - FRQ
2024 AP Comp Gov Multiple Choice Help (MCQ)Â
Unit 3: Political Culture and Participation
All-in-all, this unit is about people đšâđ§ and their relationship with the state. You also need to explain what influences the relationship between the state and its people. đ±
3.1 Civil Society
3.2 Political Culture
3.3 Political Ideologies
3.4 Political Beliefs and Values
3.5 Nature and Role of Political Participation
3.6 Forces that Impact Political Participation
3.7 Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
3.8 Political and Social Cleavages
3.9 Challenges of Political and Social Cleavages
đ» Here are some Self-Studying/Homeschool tips for AP Comp Gov!
AP Comparative Government Self-Study and Homeschool
Unit 4: Party and Electoral Systems and Citizen Organizations
In this unit, the focus is on how various electoral systems đłïž work in our course countries (UK, Mexico , Nigeria , Russia , China , Nigeria ) and how individuals participate in those systems via political parties, interest groups , and systems that support various interest groups .
4.1 Electoral Systems and RulesÂ
4.2 Objectives of Election Rules Â
4.3 What are Political Party Systems ?
4.4 Understanding the Role of Political Party Systems
4.5 Impact of Social Movement and Interest Groups on Governments
4.6 Pluralist and Corporatist Interests in Government
Unit 5: Political and Economic Changes and Development
In this unit, you will explore the political systems and power structures of the six countries that are discussed in the course!
Topics that are included:
Political responses to global market forces
The effects of economic liberalization policies
How governments adapt social policies to address political, cultural, and economic changes
Rapid industrialization and its impacts
The causes and effects of demographic changes
5.1 Impact of Global Economic and Technological Forces
5.2 Political Responses to Global Market Forces
5.3 Challenges from Globalization
5.4 Policies and Economic Liberalization
5.5 International and Supranational Organizations
5.6 Adaptation of Social Policies
5.7 Impact of Industrialization and Economic Development
5.8 Causes and Effects of Demographic Change
5.9 Impact of Natural Resources
đ„ Watch these AP Videos:
AP Comparative Government and Politics: 5.1 Impact of Global Economic and Technological Forces
AP Comparative Government and Politics: 5.2 Political Responses to Global Market Forces
AP Comparative Government and Politics: 5.3 Challenges from Globalization
AP Comparative Government and Politics: Unit 5 - Political and Economic Changes and Development
đ» Here are some practice questions and Quizlets to refresh on the unit:
Unit 5 - "Political and Economic Changes and Development" Flashcards
Key Terms to Review ( 49 )
AP Comparative Government Cheatsheet PDF
Argument Essay
Authoritarianism
Civil Liberties
Civil Rights
Civil Society
Corporatist Interests
Democratization
Demographic Changes
Economic Liberalization Policies
Election Rules
Electoral Systems
Federal System
Global Economic Forces
Industrialization
Interest Groups
International Organizations
Judicial Branch
Legislative Branch
Multiple Choice Questions
Natural Resources
Parliamentary System
Pluralist Interests
Political Beliefs and Values
Political Culture
Political Ideologies
Political Institutions
Political Legitimacy
Political Participation
Political Party Systems
Political Scientists
Political Stability
Political Systems
Power and Authority
Presidential System
Qualitative Analysis
Quantitative Analysis
Social Cleavages
Social Movements
Social Policies
Supranational Organizations
Unitary System
United Kingdom
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Hey y'all, I'm prepping for the AP Lang exam and I'm focusing on the argument essay right now. Does anybody know what the scoring rubric is like for this section? I want to make sure I'm hitting all the key points.
Hello! The AP Lang Argument Essay rubric has been designed to assess various aspects of your ability to write in a clear and organized way. Here's a breakdown of what the College Board's rubric looks like for the argument essay:
1. Thesis (1 point): Your thesis statement needs to be clear, defensible, and nuanced, and indicate the position you're taking on the issue. Essentially, it should give a roadmap of your essay to the reader.
2. Evidence and Commentary (4 points): You must provide relevant and persuasive evidence to support your claims and arguments. The evidence can be from different sources, but it should be accurate, credible, and convincing. Along with evidence, your analysis and commentary should be insightful and adequately explain how your chosen pieces of evidence support your thesis.
a. 4 points: Providing strong evidence and well-developed analysis that convincingly demonstrates the skills required to create a successful argument.
b. 3 points: Providing a good variety of evidence and relatively solid analysis, but not quite as thorough or convincing as a 4-point essay.
c. 2 points: Using some evidence and limited analysis that, while present, does not quite form a convincing argument.
d. 1 point: Providing minimal evidence or analysis that does not create a solid argument.
3. Sophistication (1 point): This point is awarded for effectively crafting a persuasive essay that demonstrates a deep understanding of the topic, an underlying complexity in your thought process, and strong rhetorical skills. Having a well-structured argument, addressing counterarguments, and using a nuanced tone can help you earn this point.
To prepare for your argument essay, make sure you practice crafting clear thesis statements, gathering relevant and persuasive evidence, providing insightful analysis and commentary, and refining your writing to have an overall sophisticated tone. Analyzing previously successful essays and understanding the rubric criteria will help you ensure that you're hitting all the key points. Good luck with your AP Lang exam!
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How to Write the AP Lang Argument Essay + Examples
Whatâs covered:, what is the ap language argument essay, tips for writing the ap language argument essay, ap english language argument essay examples, how will ap scores impact my college chances.
In 2023, over 550,148 students across the U.S. took the AP English Language and Composition Exam, and 65.2% scored higher than a 3. The AP English Language Exam tests your ability to analyze a piece of writing, synthesize information, write a rhetorical essay, and create a cohesive argument. In this post, weâll be discussing the best way to approach the argumentative essay section of the test, and weâll give you tips and tricks so you can write a great essay.
The AP English Language Exam as of 2023 is structured as follows:
Section 1: 45 multiple choice questions to be completed in an hour. This portion counts for 45% of your score. This section requires students to analyze a piece of literature. The questions ask about its content and/or what could be edited within the passage.
Section 2: Three free response questions to be completed in the remaining two hours and 15 minutes. This section counts for 55% of your score. These essay questions include the synthesis essay, the rhetorical essay, and the argumentative essay.
- Synthesis essay: Read 6-7 sources and create an argument using at least three of the sources.
- Rhetorical analysis essay: Describe how a piece of writing evokes meaning and symbolism.
- Argumentative essay: Pick a side of a debate and create an argument based on evidence. In this essay, you should develop a logical argument in support of or against the given statement and provide ample evidence that supports your conclusion. Typically, a five paragraph format is great for this type of writing. This essay is scored holistically from 1 to 9 points.
Do you want more information on the structure of the full exam? Take a look at our in-depth overview of the AP Language and Composition Exam .
Although the AP Language Argument may seem daunting at first, once you understand how the essay should be structured, it will be a lot easier to create cohesive arguments.
Below are some tips to help you as you write the essay.
1. Organize your essay before writing
Instead of jumping right into your essay, plan out what you will say beforehand. Itâs easiest to make a list of your arguments and write out what facts or evidence you will use to support each argument. In your outline, you can determine the best order for your arguments, especially if they build on each other or are chronological. Having a well-organized essay is crucial for success.
2. Pick one side of the argument, but acknowledge the other side
When you write the essay, itâs best if you pick one side of the debate and stick with it for the entire essay. All your evidence should be in support of that one side. However, in your introductory paragraph, as you introduce the debate, be sure to mention any merit the arguments of the other side has. This can make the essay a bit more nuanced and show that you did consider both sides before determining which one was better. Often, acknowledging another viewpoint then refuting it can make your essay stronger.
3. Provide evidence to support your claims
The AP readers will be looking for examples and evidence to support your argument. This doesnât mean that you need to memorize a bunch of random facts before the exam. This just means that you should be able to provide concrete examples in support of your argument.
For example, if the essay topic is about whether the role of the media in society has been detrimental or not, and you argue that it has been, you may talk about the phenomenon of âfake newsâ during the 2016 presidential election.
AP readers are not looking for perfect examples, but they are looking to see if you can provide enough evidence to back your claim and make it easily understood.
4. Create a strong thesis statement
The thesis statement will set up your entire essay, so itâs important that it is focused and specific, and that it allows for the reader to understand your body paragraphs. Make sure your thesis statement is the very last sentence of your introductory paragraph. In this sentence, list out the key points you will be making in the essay in the same order that you will be writing them. Each new point you mention in your thesis should start a paragraph in your essay.
Below is a prompt and sample student essay from the May 2019 exam . Weâll look at what the student did well in their writing and where they could improve.
Prompt: âThe term âoverratedâ is often used to diminish concepts, places, roles, etc. that the speaker believes do not deserve the prestige they commonly enjoy; for example, many writers have argued that success is overrated, a character in a novel by Anthony Burgess famously describes Rome as a âvastly overrated city,â and Queen Rania of Jordan herself has asserted that â[b]eing queen is overrated.â
Select a concept, place, role, etc. to which you believe that the term âoverratedâ should be applied. Then, write a well-developed essay in which you explain your judgment. Use appropriate evidence from your reading, experience, or observations to support your argument.
Sample Student Essay #1:
[1] Competition is âoverrated.â The notion of motivation between peers has evolved into a source of unnecessary stress and even lack of morals. Whether it be in an academic environment or in the industry, this new idea of competition is harmful to those competing and those around them.
[2] Back in elementary school, competition was rather friendly. It could have been who could do the most pushups or who could get the most imaginary points in a classroom for a prize. If you couldnât do the most pushups or win that smelly sticker, you would go home and improve yourself â there would be no strong feelings towards anyone, you would just focus on making yourself a better version of yourself. Then as high school rolled around, suddenly applying for college doesnât seem so far away âGPA seems to be that one stat that defines you â extracurriculars seem to shape you â test scores seem to categorize you. Sleepless nights, studying for the next dayâs exam, seem to become more and more frequent. Floating duck syndrome seems to surround you (FDS is where a competitive student pretends to not work hard but is furiously studying beneath the surface just like how a duck furiously kicks to stay afloat). All of your competitors appear to hope you fail â but in the end what do you and your competitorâs gain? Getting one extra point on the test? Does that self-satisfaction compensate for the tremendous amounts of acquired stress? This new type of âcompetitionâ is overrated â it serves nothing except a never-ending source of anxiety and seeks to weaken friendships and solidarity as a whole in the school setting.
[3] A similar idea of âcompetitionâ can be applied to business. On the most fundamental level, competition serves to be a beneficial regulator of prices and business models for both the business themselves and consumers. However, as businesses grew increasingly greedy and desperate, companies resorted to immoral tactics that only hurt their reputations and consumers as a whole. Whether it be McDonaldâs coupons that force you to buy more food or tech companies like Apple intentionally slowing down your iPhone after 3 years to force you to upgrade to the newest device, consumers suffer and in turn speak down upon these companies. Similar to the evolved form of competition in school, this overrated form causes pain for all parties and has since diverged from the encouraging nature that the principle of competition was âfoundedâ on.
The AP score for this essay was a 4/6, meaning that it captured the main purpose of the essay but there were still substantial parts missing. In this essay, the writer did a good job organizing the sections and making sure that their writing was in order according to the thesis statement. The essay first discusses how competition is harmful in elementary school and then discusses this topic in the context of business. This follows the chronological order of somebodyâs life and flows nicely.
The arguments in this essay are problematic, as they do not provide enough examples of how exactly competition is overrated. The essay discusses the context in which competition is overrated but does not go far enough in explaining how this connects to the prompt.
In the first example, school stress is used to explain how competition manifests. This is a good starting point, but it does not talk about why competition is overrated; it simply mentions that competition can be unhealthy. The last sentence of that paragraph is the main point of the argument and should be expanded to discuss how the anxiety of school is overrated later on in life.Â
In the second example, the writer discusses how competition can lead to harmful business practices, but again, this doesnât reflect the reason this would be overrated. Is competition really overrated because Apple and McDonaldâs force you to buy new products? This example couldâve been taken one step farther. Instead of explaining why business structuresâsuch as monopoliesâharm competition, the author should discuss how those particular structures are overrated.
Additionally, the examples the writer used lack detail. A stronger essay wouldâve provided more in-depth examples. This essay seemed to mention examples only in passing without using them to defend the argument.
It should also be noted that the structure of the essay is incomplete. The introduction only has a thesis statement and no additional context. Also, there is no conclusion paragraph that sums up the essay. These missing components result in a 4/6.
Now letâs go through the prompt for a sample essay from the May 2022 exam . The prompt is as follows:
Colin Powell, a four-star general and former United States Secretary of State, wrote in his 1995 autobiography: â[W]e do not have the luxury of collecting information indefinitely. At some point, before we can have every possible fact in hand, we have to decide. The key is not to make quick decisions, but to make timely decisions.â
Write an essay that argues your position on the extent to which Powellâs claim about making decisions is valid.Â
In your response you should do the following:
- Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible position.Â
- Provide evidence to support your line of reasoning.Â
- Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.Â
- Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.
Sample Student Essay #2:
Colin Powell, who was a four star general and a former United States Secretary of State. He wrote an autobiography and had made a claim about making decisions. In my personal opinion, Powellâs claim is true to full extent and shows an extremely valuable piece of advice that we do not consider when we make decisions.
Powell stated, âbefore we can have every possible fact in hand we have to decideâŠ. but to make it a timely decisionâ (1995). With this statement Powell is telling the audience of his autobiography that it does not necessarily matter how many facts you have, and how many things you know. Being able to have access to everything possible takes a great amount of time and we donât always have all of the time in the world. A decision has to be made with what you know, waiting for something else to come in while trying to make a decision whether that other fact is good or bad you already have a good amount of things that you know. Everyoneâs time is valuable, including yours. At the end of the day the decision will have to be made and that is why it should be made in a âtimelyâ manner.
This response was graded for a score of 2/6. Letâs break down the score to smaller points that signify where the student fell short.
The thesis in this essay is clearly outlined at the end of the first paragraph. The student states their agreement with Powellâs claim and frames the rest of their essay around this stance. The success in scoring here lies in the clear communication of the thesis and the direction the argument will take. Itâs important to make the thesis statement concise, specific, and arguable, which the student has successfully done.
While the student did attempt to provide evidence to support their thesis, itâs clear that their explanation lacks specific detail and substance. They referenced Powellâs statement, but did not delve into how this statement has proven true in specific instances, and did not provide examples that could bring the argument to life.
Commentary is an essential part of this sectionâs score. It means explaining the significance of the evidence and connecting it back to the thesis. Unfortunately, the studentâs commentary here is too vague and does not effectively elaborate on how the evidence supports their argument.
To improve, the student could use more concrete examples to demonstrate their point and discuss how each piece of evidence supports their thesis. For instance, they could discuss specific moments in Powellâs career where making a timely decision was more valuable than waiting for all possible facts. This would help illustrate the argument in a more engaging, understandable way.
A high score in the âsophisticationâ category of the grading rubric is given for demonstrating a complex understanding of the rhetorical situation (purpose, audience, context, etc.), making effective rhetorical choices, or establishing a line of reasoning. Here, the studentâs response lacks complexity and sophistication. Theyâve simply agreed with Powellâs claim and made a few general statements without providing a deeper analysis or effectively considering the rhetorical situation.
To increase sophistication, the student could explore possible counterarguments or complexities within Powellâs claim. They could discuss potential drawbacks of making decisions without all possible facts, or examine situations where timely decisions might not yield the best results. By acknowledging and refuting these potential counterarguments, they could add more depth to their analysis and showcase their understanding of the complexities involved in decision-making.
The student could also analyze why Powell, given his background and experiences, might have come to such a conclusion, thus providing more context and showing an understanding of the rhetorical situation.
Remember, sophistication in argumentation isnât about using fancy words or complicated sentences. Itâs about showing that you understand the complexity of the issue at hand and that youâre able to make thoughtful, nuanced arguments. Sophistication shows that you can think critically about the topic and make connections that arenât immediately obvious.
Now that youâve looked at an example essay and some tips for the argumentative essay, you know how to better prepare for the AP English Language and Composition Exam.
While your AP scores donât usually impact your admissions chances , colleges do care a lot about your course rigor. So, taking as many APs as you can will certainly boost your chances! AP scores can be a way for high-performing students to set themselves apart, particularly when applying to prestigious universities. Through the process of self-reporting scores , you can show your hard work and intelligence to admissions counselors.
That said, the main benefit of scoring high on AP exams comes once you land at your dream school, as high scores can allow you to âtest outâ of entry-level requirements, often called GE requirements or distribution requirements. This will save you time and money.
To understand how your course rigor stacks up, check out CollegeVineâs free chancing engine . This resource takes your course rigor, test scores, extracurriculars, and more, to determine your chances of getting into over 1600 colleges across the country!
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Supreme Court Appears Skeptical of Using Obstruction Law to Charge Jan. 6 Rioters
The justices considered the gravity of the assault and whether prosecutors have been stretching the law to reach members of the mob responsible for the attack.
- Share full article
By Adam Liptak
Reporting from Washington
- April 16, 2024
The Supreme Court seemed wary on Tuesday of letting prosecutors use a federal obstruction law to charge hundreds of rioters involved in the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.
A decision rejecting the governmentâs interpretation of the law could not only disrupt those prosecutions but also eliminate half of the charges against former President Donald J. Trump in the federal case accusing him of plotting to subvert the 2020 election.
Mr. Trumpâs case did not come up at the argument, which was largely focused on trying to make sense of a statute, enacted to address white-collar crime, that all concerned agreed was not a model of clarity. But the justicesâ questions also considered the gravity of the assault and whether prosecutors have been stretching the law to reach members of the mob responsible for the attack, which interrupted certification of Joseph R. Biden Jr.âs electoral victory.
Justice Clarence Thomas, who returned to the bench after an unexplained absence on Monday, asked whether the government was engaging in a kind of selective prosecution. âThere have been many violent protests that have interfered with proceedings,â he said. âHas the government applied this provision to other protests?â
Justice Sonia Sotomayor took a different view of what happened on Jan. 6. âWeâve never had a situation before where thereâs been a situation like this with people attempting to stop a proceeding violently,â she said.
The question for the justices was whether one of the laws used to prosecute some of the members of the mob that stormed the Capitol fits their conduct. The law, a provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, contains a broad catchall provision that makes it a crime to corruptly obstruct, influence or impede any official proceeding.
But the provision is linked to a previous one aimed at altering evidence. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the catchall provision must be read in context. Since the Jan. 6 defendants were not accused of altering evidence, he said, the catchall provision did not apply.
Other members of the courtâs conservative majority said that reading the catchall provision in isolation would allow prosecutions of all sorts of protesters.
Two members of the courtâs liberal wing responded that the catchall provision was broad by design and not tethered to the previous clause. Congress had meant, they said, to give prosecutors tools to address situations that the lawmakers could not anticipate.
The effect of a ruling rejecting the use of the provision to prosecute Jan. 6 defendants is not completely clear. Most such defendants have not been charged under the provision, which prosecutors have reserved for the most serious cases, and those who have been charged under it face other counts as well.
The defendant in Tuesdayâs case, Joseph W. Fischer, for instance, faces six other charges.
Nor is it clear that a ruling in Mr. Fischerâs favor would erase any charges against Mr. Trump under the law. Jack Smith, the special counsel overseeing the federal election interference case against the former president, has said Mr. Trumpâs conduct could be considered a crime under even a narrow reading of the 2002 law.
Whatever the larger consequences of the courtâs ruling, expected by late June, several justices on Tuesday seemed troubled by the governmentâs interpretation of the law, saying it would allow many other kinds of prosecutions.
âWould a sit-in that disrupts a trial or access to a federal courthouse qualify?â Justice Neil M. Gorsuch asked. âWould a heckler in todayâs audience qualify, or at the State of the Union address? Would pulling a fire alarm before a vote qualify for 20 years in federal prison?â
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. allowed that âwhat happened on Jan. 6 was very, very serious.â But he added that the prosecutorsâ theory could reach, say, protests in the Supreme Courtâs courtroom, which have occurred from time to time.
Elizabeth B. Prelogar, the U.S. solicitor general, began her argument by recalling the events of Jan. 6, saying that what some of the participants did that day amounted to obstruction covered by the law.
âOn Jan. 6, 2021, a violent mob stormed the United States Capitol and disrupted the peaceful transition of power,â she said. âMany crimes occurred that day, but in plain English, the fundamental wrong committed by many of the rioters, including petitioner, was a deliberate attempt to stop the joint session of Congress from certifying the results of the election. That is, they obstructed Congressâs work in that official proceeding.â
Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked how to distinguish the attack on the Capitol from other actions that have disrupted official proceedings. âTell me why I shouldnât be concerned about the breadth of the governmentâs reading?â she asked.
The law at issue in the case was enacted in the wake of the collapse of the energy giant Enron.
Mr. Fischer, a former police officer, was charged with violating it and with six other crimes. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh asked why the other charges were insufficient.
âWhy arenât those six counts good enough just from the Justice Departmentâs perspective given that they donât have any of the hurdles?â he asked.
Ms. Prelogar responded that the other counts did not fully reflect Mr. Fischerâs culpability.
The law was prompted by accounting fraud and the destruction of documents, but the provision is written in broad terms.
At least part of what the law meant to accomplish was to address a gap in the federal criminal code: It was a crime to persuade others to destroy records relevant to an investigation or official proceeding but not to do so oneself. The law sought to close that gap.
It did that in a two-part provision. The first part makes it a crime to corruptly alter, destroy or conceal evidence to frustrate official proceedings. The second part, at issue in Mr. Fischerâs case, makes it a crime âotherwiseâ to corruptly obstruct, influence or impede any official proceeding.
The heart of the case is at the pivot from the first part to the second. The ordinary meaning of âotherwise,â prosecutors say, is âin a different manner.â That means, they say, that the obstruction of official proceedings need not involve the destruction of evidence. The second part, they say, is broad catchall applying to all sorts of conduct.
Justice Elena Kagan said the catchall provision was a purposefully broad reaction to the Enron debacle.
âWhat Enron convinced them of was that there were gaps in these statutes,â she said of the lawmakers who enacted it.
She added: âBut they didnât know exactly what those gaps were. So they said, letâs have a backstop provision. And this is their backstop provision.â
Justice Sotomayor agreed. âThey wanted to cover every base, and they didnât do it in a logical way, but they managed to cover every base,â she said.
Jeffrey T. Green, a lawyer for Mr. Fischer, said the court should not interpret the 2002 law to create a crime of breathtaking scope that would allow prosecutors to charge political protesters and others with felonies carrying 20-year prison sentences.
He said that the first part of the provision must inform and limit the second one â to obstruction linked to the destruction of evidence. They would read âotherwise,â in other words, as âsimilarly.â
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., citing a unanimous opinion he wrote last week, appeared to agree. âThe general phrase,â he said, âis controlled and defined by reference to the terms that precede it,â he said. âThe âotherwiseâ phrase is more general, and the terms that precede it are âalters, destroys, mutilates, or conceals a record or document.ââ
The case is one of several on the courtâs docket this term affecting or involving Mr. Trump. In a separate case to be argued next week, the justices will consider Mr. Trumpâs claim that he is totally immune from prosecution.
Mr. Fischer is accused of entering the Capitol around 3:24 p.m. on Jan. 6, with the counting of electoral ballots having been suspended after the initial assault.
He had told a superior in a text message, prosecutors said, that âit might get violent.â In another, he wrote that âthey should storm the capital and drag all the democrates into the street and have a mob trial.â
Prosecutors say that videos showed Mr. Fischer yelling âCharge!â before pushing through the crowd, using a vulgar term to berate police officers and crashing into a line of them.
Mr. Fischerâs lawyers dispute some of this. But the question for the justices is legal, not factual: Does the 2002 law cover what Mr. Fischer is accused of?
As the end of the argument neared, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a liberal, indicated that she had reservations about the governmentâs position, saying that the court should not lose sight of âthe backdrop of a real-world context.â
âIt was in the wake of Enron,â she said. âThere was document destruction, and, you know, there was nothing as far as I can tell in the enactment history as it was recorded that suggests that Congress was thinking about obstruction more generally.â
Adam Liptak covers the Supreme Court and writes Sidebar, a column on legal developments. A graduate of Yale Law School, he practiced law for 14 years before joining The Times in 2002. More about Adam Liptak
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AP United States Government and Politics Scoring Rubric for 2020 Question 1: Argument Essay 7 points Reporting Category. ... argument with at least one piece of specific and relevant evidence (earned at least 3 points in Row B). ... AP United States Government and Politics Free-Response Question 4 Scoring Rubric, Effective Fall 2019; Effective ...
The Argument Essay differs substantially from the other free-response questions on the AP U.S. Government and Politics exam, but you can and should still follow the Kaplan Method (AP-AP). It is recommended that you take 40 minutes to plan and write your Argument Essay (as opposed to 20 minutes each for the other free-response questions), so ...
AP GOVERNMENT ARGUMENT ESSAY RUBRIC Name: _____ Topic: _____ THESIS / CLAIM Articulates a defensible claim or thesis that responds to the prompt and establishes a line of reasoning. To earn this point, the thesis must make a claim that responds to the prompt, rather than merely restating or rephrasing the prompt. ...
Argument Essay: Develop an argument in the form of an essay, using evidence from required foundational documents and course concepts Exam Questions and Scoring Information Note : Some questions and scoring guidelines from the 2023 and earlier AP U.S. Government and Politics Exams may not perfectly align with the course and exam updates that ...
AP GOVERNMENT ARGUMENT ESSAY RUBRIC Name: _____ Topic: _____ THESIS / CLAIM Articulates a defensible claim or thesis that responds to the prompt and establishes a line of reasoning. To earn this point, the thesis must make a claim that responds to the prompt, rather than merely restating or rephrasing the prompt. ...
Question 4: Argument Essay - AP Central | College Board
The newly redesigned AP US Government and Politics exam includes an Argument Essay that is graded based on a six point rubric. In order to gain full credit, the argumentative essay must include a thesis (or claim), two relevant and specific pieces of evidence, an explanation of how the evidence connects with the claim, and acknowledge a counter-argument by refutation, concession, or rebuttal.
Writing Workshop on the Argumentative Essay: This stream explores the Argumentative Essay, looking at the rubric and then using the remainder of the time to practice our skills. đ° Check out these articles: AP US Government Free Response Help - FRQs. FRQ: Conceptual Analysis. FRQ: SCOTUS Application. AP Gov FRQ: Argument Essay Review (2020)
If you're in APCompGov, you have an hour and 30 minutes It's important to use your time effectively because the FRQ section is worth half of your score. Because of that, you should spend around 25 minutes, give or take a few, on the Argument Free-Response Question. (NOTE: FOR THE 2019-2020 TEST, YOU WILL HAVE 25 MINUTES TO WRITE AND 5 MINUTES ...
Visit https://www.tomrichey.net/argumentessay.html to download the 2020 AP Government Argument Essay rubric.In this video, Tom Richey demonstrates how to com...
More from Heimler's History:AP HEIMLER REVIEW GUIDE (formerly known as the Ultimate Review Packet): +AP Gov Heimler Review Guide: https://bit.ly/3rfXr2YCheck...
This is intended as an end-of-course review activity for practice with the argumentative essay format included on the AP United States Government and Politics exam since the 2018 redesign.
Detailing the scoring and rubric for the Argumentative Essay FRQ for the AP Gov AP Exam. AP United States Government and Politics.
2021 AP Exam Administration Sample Student Responses - AP U.S. Government and Politics Free-Response Question 4: Set 1 Author: College Board Subject: 2021 AP Exam Administration: Student Samples and Commentary Keywords
Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like 1) Thesis - 1 pt 2) Evidence - Up to 3 pts 3) Reasoning - 1 pt 4) Alternate Perspective - 1 pt, respond to the prompt with a defensible claim or thesis that establishes a line of reasoning; you mustn't just simply restate the prompt, name one piece of evidence that is relevant of the topic of the prompt and more.
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Argument Essay: Develop an argument in the form of an essay, using evidence from course countries related to the course concepts in the question prompt. đ Check out the 2023 AP Comparative Government Free-Response Section posted on the College Board site. Scoring Rubric for the AP Comparative Government Exam
The AP Lang Argument Essay rubric has been designed to assess various aspects of your ability to write in a clear and organized way. Here's a breakdown of what the College Board's rubric looks like for the argument essay: 1. Thesis (1 point): Your thesis statement needs to be clear, defensible, and nuanced, and indicate the position you're ...
AP Comparative Government and Politics Free-Response Question 4 Scoring Rubric, Effective Fall 2019 Author: ... exam preparation; course preparation; stable rubrics; scoring rubrics; FRQ 4; Argument Essay; \r\n\r\nAP Comparative Government and Politics Free-Response Qu\ estion 4 Scoring Rubric, Effective Fall 2019 Created Date: 6/8/2019 9:06:10 ...
2. Pick one side of the argument, but acknowledge the other side. When you write the essay, it's best if you pick one side of the debate and stick with it for the entire essay. All your evidence should be in support of that one side. However, in your introductory paragraph, as you introduce the debate, be sure to mention any merit the ...
Welcome to my course homepage for AP United States Government and Politics! It is my goal here to assemble a collection of resources to help students and teachers who are preparing for the AP Government exam. Foundational Documents. Supreme Court Cases.
Logical, compelling progression of ideas in essay;clear structure which enhances and showcases the central idea or theme and moves the reader through the text. Organization flows so smoothly the reader hardly thinks about it. Effective, mature, graceful transitions exist throughout the essay.
Scoring Rubrics. Free-Response Question 1: Synthesis Essay Free-Response Question 2: Rhetorical Analysis Free-Response Question 3: Argument Essay. Effective Fall 2019. AP English Language Scoring Rubric, Free-Response Question 1-3 | SG 1. Scoring Rubric for Question 1: Synthesis Essay 6 points.
In his essay, Mr. Berliner laid some of the blame at the feet of NPR's former chief executive, John Lansing, who said he was retiring at the end of last year after four years in the role. He was ...
Elizabeth B. Prelogar, the U.S. solicitor general, began her argument by recalling the events of Jan. 6, saying that what some of the participants did that day amounted to obstruction covered by ...